The present invention relates to equipment for producing protraction and retraction of aerodynamic profiles such as landing flaps, on the wings of an aircraft; and more particularly the present invention relates o a flap protraction and retraction device with variable torque limiting, position arresting and guiding of movement in accordance with a prescribed path under utilization of a carrier system which includes two or more carriers with drive and track system being a portion of and pertaining to the wing.
Aircraft with aerodynamically contoured wings are usually equipped with landing flaps which, in dependence upon the particular flight condition and situation, are to assume certain positions. It is known here to provide those flaps on carriages and to run these carriages in rails to obtain protraction and retraction of the landing flap. The carriages are driven by means of common, central drive unit using a shaft and gear transmission system which connects the central drive with the several landing flaps and their carriages. The drives specifically may be constructed as crank drives which are directly connected to outputs of differential gear. Drives of this type are used in aircraft of the types known under the tradenames AIRBUS A320, B 747 and B 767. The AIRBUS A300 and A310 and also the VFW 614 plane use torque limiters in addition to the drive spindles. These torque limiters serve as overload protection devices which in case particular torques occur provide coupling or braking function.